Research & Development Officer at Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC)

This position is responsible for overseeing and managing the research and development activities within the organization. This role involves developing new products and services, improving existing ones, and ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the R&D processes.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities are as follows:

Operational Roles and Responsibilities:

• Conduct in-depth market research to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges in the housing finance sector.
• Carry out research on the financial mortgage market to determine changing trends and identify the impact on the Company;
• Analyze data related to macro-economic, socio-economic, and customer demographics, preferences, and behaviors to inform product development and marketing strategies.
• Monitor and report on competitive landscape and industry developments to ensure KMRC remains responsive to market dynamics.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, production, and quality assurance, to ensure successful product development.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, presentations, and white papers to communicate research findings and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure all research activities and outcomes are well-documented, stored, and shared appropriately to facilitate knowledge management and organizational learning.
• Maintain detailed records of research activities, findings, and project progress.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the R&D team and the broader organization.
• Coordinate programs/projects forecasts, estimates and budgets in liaison with departmental heads for effective planning and implementation.
• Monitor and report on markets and customers from a strategic standpoint and report on short, medium and long-term trends and directions;
• Participate in periodic reviews of the strategy in line with external and internal, political, economic, social, environmental change drivers and report on the implications of these factors on the strategic implementation;
• Monitor, measure and report on organisational development plans and achievements within agreed formats and timescales;
• Coordinate the preparation and implementation of departmental work plans;
• Guide the development, implementation and application of modern techniques in Monitoring and Evaluation systems for home loans research and capacity building programs; and
• Coordinate operations research and conduct surveys for additional strategic information for decision making.

Perform any other duties as may be assigned from time to time

Key Result Areas:

The jobholders accountability areas are outlined as follows:

• Submission of accurate, timely and relevant reporting
• Continuous process improvement of services through efficient working
• Enforcement of relevant guidelines, rules and regulations
• Ensure customer satisfaction for the consumers of the services offered by the department
• Efficient execution of work processes as assigned

Knowledge and Skills Required:

The jobholder must possess:

• Degree in Economics, Statistics, Development studies or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
• A Minimum of five (5) years demonstrated professional experience in project management, development and/or monitoring and evaluation.
• Good Knowledge and experience in the financial sector operations;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present information clearly and persuasively.
• Proficiency in research methodologies and tools, including statistical software and data visualization platforms.